


As I Do

by cheinsaw



Category: Fate/stay night & Related Fandoms
Genre: Bathing/Washing, Canonical Character Death, Depression, F/M, Married Couple, Temporary Character Death, disgustingly fluffy and sappy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-14
Updated: 2019-07-14
Packaged: 2020-06-28 08:21:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,356
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19808419
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cheinsaw/pseuds/cheinsaw
Summary: Oryou doesn't like water, unless she's with Ryouma.Or: Ryouma helps Oryou face her greatest fear.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [milosci](https://archiveofourown.org/users/milosci/gifts).



> HAPPY BIRTHDAY LETTE!!! i love u and i can't believe that 1. i'm giving you straight people for your birthday and 2. that my 100th fic on ao3 is straight people.

The ocean is cold and silent and dark. It's been that way as long as Oryou's been here, heavy and hurting. She has stopped counting how long it's been; it doesn't matter. Her tears are saltwater too, after all.

Distraught, lovesick, heartbroken girl.

Oryou was the one who found his body. She'd hurried home that day, of course. Ryouma needed her. She was going to make dinner with him. Shamo-nabe, his favorite. She never considered that she might return home to find him lifeless and bloody and—

It still makes her stomach turn like the very day it happened. The memory cuts her open and bleeds her dry. Ryouma, Ryouma. Her Ryouma, the only human she could ever love.

She wishes she'd kissed him one last time.

The water pressure has become unbearable but it's nothing like the ache in Oryou's heart. Can a serpent cry itself to death? she wonders.

Maybe she's been dead all along. Maybe she died a long, long time ago, and this is her afterlife. Maybe she'll never get a happy ending, her story cut off right where Ryouma's ended. If she thinks about it, she can still feel him. Things like the scratch of stubble against her chin when he'd kiss her in the mornings, or his fingers running through her hair, or how he held her close...

_ Oryou-san. _

Or the sound of his voice as he said her name, always filled with affection.

"Oryou-san..."

"Ryouma," she whimpers.

"I'm here, Oryou-san, I've got you." Ryouma's arms are circling her, sending heat rippling through her body. Oh, Ryouma's always been so warm, she thinks. "Come on, let's go..."

"Ryouma," Oryou gurgles.

"Yeah, I'm here, I'm here."

"Ryouma," she says again, eyes welling up. It is setting in, now: it's him, it's him, her husband is here, her dearly beloved is holding her tight again. The water pressure has disappeared without her realizing it; the darkness is gone. There is only a strong pair of arms, cradling her with all the love in the world.

"Come on, Oryou-san, let's go home."


	2. Chapter 2

Oryou hates water.

Maybe not outright hate, if she thinks about it. Her feelings are much more complicated than that. Water is suffocating, an unpleasant reminder of things gone by. If she were asked outright, she'd say she hates it, simply because there is no word to describe crushing loneliness and despair and heartbreak and agony.

When Ryouma came to bring her spirit to the Throne of Heroes, she remembers feeling nothing but relief as her soul melded to his and she left the ocean forever. She has not willingly entered water since.

Chaldea has public baths for the staff and servants. Oryou has been there a couple times, accompanying Ryouma, but she never gets in. She just floats in the air near the wall, wrapped in a towel, watching over Ryouma. (But when she curls around him in their bed afterwards, he always seems especially warm and comfortable.)

"Do you think you'd like to try it, Oryou-san?" he asks when she brings it up.

"No."

"Hmm, I see. Then what if it was just us? Like back then in Kyoto. It doesn't have to be long, either. I'd just like to do that with you."

Oryou inhales deeply. "Oryou-san hates water," she reminds him. "Oryou-san might get scared." (They're both aware of how much of an understatement it is.)

"I know," Ryouma says. "It's not deep at all, I promise. It'll just be you and me, and you can get out whenever you want. Does that sound good?"

It doesn't, because it is still water, but Ryouma is asking so gently, and Oryou can at least agree to the terms. "Yeah. But Ryouma stays with Oryou-san."

"Of course, of course. I won't let go."

When the time comes Oryou is a bundle of nerves. Shaky, and a lump settling in her throat that she can't seem to swallow. She undresses slowly, folds her clothes, stacks them neatly. She washes off her body and pins up her long hair. Her only solace is Ryouma by her side.  _ Ryouma won't leave her, _ she tells herself,  _ Ryouma is here, Ryouma will keep Oryou-san safe. _

"Come on in, Oryou-san." Ryouma is already in the bath, waiting with open arms. "I'm standing up, see? You can touch the bottom."

Anxiety rolls around in the pit of Oryou's stomach. She opens her mouth to speak, closes it, opens it again.

"Here, how's this? We can go in together." Ryouma pulls himself out of the bath and takes Oryou's hand. "Come on, just like this."

Tentatively, Oryou dips her toes into the water, and is met with a jolt of unexpected heat. "It's warm," she says.

"Did you think it would be cold? Even with all the steam in here?"

"Oryou-san forgot."

"Ah, well, that's okay." Ryouma slides back into the bath. "Here, squeeze my hand if you need to."

Oryou does, and closes her eyes.  _ It's warm, _ she tells herself,  _ not like the ocean at all.  _ Ryouma's fingers are locked with hers, and she tries to focus on that instead of— _ cold, silent, dark pressure— _

"Oh, you did it. Good job, Oryou-san."

When Oryou opens her eyes, she's standing in the bath, and Ryouma is smiling at her, still holding her hand. "Ah."

"I'm going to sit down now."

Oryou nods, still gripping tightly onto Ryouma's fingers. She lowers herself into the water with him, slowly letting the heat envelop her as she crawls onto Ryouma's lap.

"We have the whole bath to ourselves," Ryouma gently reminds her.

"Yeah, Oryou-san knows." She laces her arms around Ryouma's neck. "Oryou-san is not moving."

"Okay, whatever you want to do." Ryouma smiles so kindly that it still makes Oryou's heart skip, like the very first time she saw him back on the mountain. "This is for you, after all."

Oryou nods so Ryouma knows she gets it. She still doesn't move, other than adjusting herself a bit from time to time. He talks to her in a soft voice about nothing, and he methodically strokes her tied-up hair.

This is… nice. Surprisingly so. Oryou had been convinced, deep down, that she wouldn't be able to control herself—that she'd disappoint Ryouma, that she would panic and have to leave. But there is no need to control anything. She is simply relaxing, warmth spreading down to her bones, and a different kind of warmth reaching her heart.

"…ryou-san?"

That's her husband talking, she thinks. Ahh, her  _ husband... _

"…get going soon. Are you…"

She loves him. She loves him,  _ adores _ him. He did this for her and he is so patient and they never have to be separated again, even in the water, and there's no ache, no sadness, only Ryouma.

"Easy, easy…" Ryouma is lifting her up out of the bath, cradling her to his chest. "Okay, I've got you, Oryou-san."

Oryou doesn't reply, too warm and sleepy to think of any coherent words. She nuzzles her face against his shoulder instead.

"I'm so proud of you, facing your fears like that," he murmurs. "Let's go back, okay? You did so well, you're amazing."

"Mmmhh."

She lets Ryouma towel her off, and lets him help her pull her clothes back on. The motions feel hazy and dreamlike, and the next thing she knows she's in bed, facing Ryouma. He must've carried her back to their room.

"Ryouma," she says, curling up against his body.

"Oh, you're awake! How are you feeling?"

Oryou thinks about it for a moment. "Oryou-san is warm. Very warm."

"You must have been really relaxed to fall asleep like that, huh?" There's no teasing in his voice, no  _ I told you so. _ Ryouma just says things to her, plain and genuine.

"Yeah," Oryou says quietly. "…Thank you."

"Would you want to try taking a bath again? No pressure, of course—"

"Yes."

"—take your time—ah. Well, then, we can do that."

"But Ryouma has to stay with Oryou-san."

"Of course. Always, right?"

"Yeah. Always."

Oryou still doesn't like water, she decides. But if it's warm, and she's with Ryouma… then that might just be alright.


End file.
